Foot stock



Jan. 28, 1930.

Was fi M. l. MATHEWSON FOOT STOCK Filed April 5, 1927 Patented Jan. 28,1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAXWELL r. MATHEWSON, on PROVIDENCE,nnonn IsLANi), AssICNon TO BROWN AND SHARLPE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, ACORPORATION or nnonn ISLAND 1 FOOT STOCK Application filed April 5,1927. Serial No. 181,036.

The invention relates to foot stocks adapted for use in machine tools inwhich the work is supported between centers and is herein disclosed in aconstruction which is particularly adapted for use in a grindingmachine.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved footstock mechanism of the type provided with spring means for holding thecenters yieldingly in engagement with the work and a hand lever forretracting the spindle against the spring to release the work, which maybe readily adjusted to secure different distances between centerswithout altering the position of the hand lever, or the effectivepressure to be exerted by the spring in engaging the work.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a foot stock of thetype described a novel and improved mechanism for clamping the centerrigidly in the position to which it is brought by yielding springcontact with the work. I p

lVith these objects in view, the several features of the inventionconsist in the devices,

combinations, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimedand together with the advantages to be obtained thereby, should bereadily understood by those skilled in the art from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an end view in elevation of the foot stockmechanism embodying a preferred form of the present in- 5 vention; andFig. 2 is a sectional plan .view

of the same. 7

The foot stock herein disclosed as the preferred embodiment of theinvention comprises a center which is secured to a spindle slidably 4omountedin the foot stock bracket and is held in yielding contact withthe work by means of a spring pressed lever. In adjusting the foot stockto comparatively slight variations in the length of work supplied to themachine it is desirable to adjust the center without moving the footstock bracket and without at the same time altering the position of thespring pressed hand lever or the amount of the tension with which thecenter is yieldingly pressed in contact with the work. To

this end,means are provided for adjusting I the amount of the pressureexertedby the spring to hold the center in engagement with the work.

After the work has been placed in the machine and the centers have beenbrought into yielding contact with the work by means of the springpressed lever in the foot stock and the required tightness of fitbetween the .centers and the work having beenthus secured without at thesame time unduly increasing the friction between the parts, the footstock spindle may be locked in adjusted position by means of a manuallyoperable clamping device so that during the operation of the machine thework supporting centers will be held positively in the exact relativepositions to which they have been adjusted.

In case it is desired to center the work in the machine withoututilizing the spring pressed lever, means are provided for clamping theblock rigidly in position while permitting the adjustment of the spindlerelatively thereto, I

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the foot stock bracket isindicated at 4; mounted to slide'inways 6 on the machine frame and isheld adjustably in position by the bolt 8 and nut 10 as indicated inFig. 1. The center. 12 for engaging the work is carried in a spindle 14which is slidably mounted in a bearing 16 formed on the foot stockbracket 4:. i

The foot stock center is held yieldingly in engagement with the work bymeans of the spring pressed hand lever 18 pivotally mounted at 20 on thebracket 4 and engaging at one end with a recess 22 formed in a block 2awhich is in turn connected with the spindle M as will be hereinafterdescribed. The lever is turned in a direction to hold the spindle andthe center 12 yieldingly in engagement with the work by means of aplunger 26 which is slidably mounted in the bracket 4 and bears againstthe lever 18 at a point on the other side of the fulcrum 20 from theblock 24.

A spring 28 surrounds the plunger 26 and is inserted between anadjustable stop 30 on the plunger and a fixed shoulder 32 formed in thebracket 4 to hold the plunger 26 in engagement with the hand lever 18.

In order to permit an easy adjustment of the spindle and center 12 todifferent lengths of work without altering the position of the handlever 18 or the amount of pressure exerted by the spring 28 on thecenter 12, means are provided for adjusting the spindle 14 relatively tothe block 24. The block 24 forms a portion of a sleeve 34 which ismounted to slide in a bearing 36 in the foot stock bracket 4. Themovement of the sleeve 34 and the block 24 in one direction is limitedby engagement of the block 24 with the bearing 36 and in the otherdirection by the engagement of a collar 38 on the sleeve with thebearing 36. The spindle 14 and the block 24 are connected by means of ashaft 40 which is rotatably mounted within the sleeve 34 and is threadedat one end to engage the spindle 14. The shaft 40 is prevented frommoving axially with respect to the sleeve by means of the hand wheel 42which is secured to the shaft 40 abutting one end of the sleeve and aflan e 44 on the shaft 40 abutting the other end of the sleeve or block24. WVith this arrangement of the parts, the spindle can be moved towardor away from the block 24 by the operator by turning the hand wheel 42in one direction or the other to secure the desired adjustment of thecenter. A screw 46 in the foot stock bracket engages a slot 48 in thespindle to limit the movement of the spindle in each direction andsecure it against rotation. I

In'the o eration of the machine the foot stock bracket 4 is firstadjusted approximately to the length of the work which is to be insertedin the machine and the spindle 14 is then adjusted relatively to theblock 24 by the hand Wheel 42 to bring the center 12 yieldingly intoengagement with the work against the pressure of the spring pressedlever 18.

It may be desired to lock the center 12 in the adjusted position incontact with the work after the required tightness of fit has beenobtained by the operation of the spring pressed lever 18. For hispurpose, a split clamp of ordinary construction is formed in the bearing16 and is operated by means of a hand lever 50. A similar split clamp isformed on the bearing 36 for the sleeve 34 forming a part of the block24 and is tightened by means of the screw bolt 52 to lock the block 24in position so that the work may be centered in the machine withoututilizing the spring pressed lever 18.

One form of the invention having been described and illustrated and theadvantages to be obtained therefrom having been pointed out, what isclaimed is:

1. A foot stock having, in combination, a spindle, a block to which thespindle is adjustably secured, a lever engaging with the block andpivoted to the foot stock, and a spring pressed plunger mounted in thefoot stock to engage with the lever and press the spindle yieldinglytowards the work.

2. A foot stock having, in combination, a spindle, a block to which thespindle is adj ustably secured, a spring, and alever through which thespring acts engaging with the block and pivoted to the foot stock topress the spindle yieldingly toward the work.

3. A foot stock'having, in combination, a spindle, a block, an adjustingscrew rotatably mounted to adjust the spindle axially with relation tothe block, a spring, and a lever through which the spring acts engagingwith the block and pivoted to the foot stock to press the spindleyieldingly towards the work.

4. A foot stock having, in combination, a spindle, a block to which thespindle is adjustably secured, a spring, a lever through which thespring acts engaging with the block and pivoted to the foot stock topress the spindle yieldingly towards the work, and means for clampingthe spindle rigidly in position.

5. A foot stock having, in combination, a spindle, a block, an adjustingscrew rotatably mounted to adjust the spindle axially with respect tothe block, a spring, a lever through which the spring acts engaging withthe block and pivoted to the foot stock to press the spindle yieldinglytowards the work, and means for clamping the spindle rigidly in theposition to which it is moved by the spring.

6. A foot stock having, in combination, a

spindle, a block to which the spindle is adj ustably secured, a spring,a lever through which the spring acts engaging with the block andpivoted to the foot stock to press the spindle yieldingly toward thework, and means for clamping the spindle rigidly in position.

7. A foot stock having, in combination, a spindle, a block to which thespindle is adj ustably secured, a spring, a lever through which thespring acts engaging with the block and pivoted to the foot stocktopress the spindle yieldingly towards the work, and means for clampingthe block rigidly in position.

8. A foot stock having, in combination, a spindle, a block, an adjustingscrew rotatably mounted to adjust the spindle axially with respect tothe block, a spring, a lever through which the spring acts engaging withthe block and pivoted to the foot stock to press the spindle yieldinglytowards the work, and means for clamping the block rigidly in position.

9. A foot stock having, in combination, a center, a spindle in which thecenter is mounted, means for pressing the center yieldingly against thework with substantially uniform pressure comprising a lever and a springpressed plunger engaging therewith to force the center toward the work,and means for adjusting the center axially into contact with the workcomprising a block connected to the lever and movable axially with thecenter and an adjusting screw to adjust the spindle axially withrelation to the block toward and away from the work.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MAXWELL I. MATHEWSON.

